Targeted fertilization – a contribution to sustainable agriculture

In the 1970s, south German farmers used to apply up to 300 kg/ha nitrogen to sugarbeet fields. Today, after comprehensive counselling, this has been reduced in southern Germany on average to 105 kg/ha N. Since 1982, the soil health service (BGD), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Südzucker in Ochsenfurt/ Germany, analyzes soils by means of electro-ultrafiltration. Based on the data obtained by this method on existing nutrients and, above all, on existing nitrate potential, the service makes recommendations for sugarbeet fertilization.